British America's Cup team re-launches as GB1 with Fletcher as helm
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FILE PHOTO: Sailing - 37th America's Cup - New Zealand v Britain - Barcelona, Spain - October 19, 2024 Ineos Britannia's Ben Ainslie is seen on the podium during the trophy ceremony after the 37th America's Cup REUTERS/Nacho Doce/File Photo
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LONDON, Jan 21 - Ben Ainslie's British team said on Wednesday they would compete for the America's Cup as GB1 and named Dylan Fletcher as helm for their latest campaign to lift the coveted trophy.
GB1 did not name a second helm for Ainslie's fourth consecutive attempt to "bring the Cup home", which is backed by Oakley Capital, an investment firm which last month took a majority ownership stake in his America's Cup team.
The British team will unveil their new GB1 identity later on Wednesday in the Italian city of Naples -- host venue for the 38th edition of the 174-year-old event -- where the five founding teams of the America's Cup Partnership (ACP) are due to announce the dates and details of the America's Cup Match in 2027.
"GB1 is delighted to secure Dylan as our helm for AC38. He has worked extremely hard to earn the seat, and his results on the water don't lie," said team principal Ainslie, 48, who parted ways with INEOS after the last event in Barcelona.
"Olympic and SailGP champion, and an America's Cup finalist all in the space of five years, these are no mean feats and highlight his absolute dedication to performance on the water," added Ainslie, who has not yet said if he will be on board.
Fletcher was co-helm with Ainslie in 2024 when they were beaten in the head-to-head match by defenders New Zealand.
"Reaching the final last time out was a great achievement for the team but getting so close drives us on even more. I know how committed the whole organisation is to winning the Cup for Britain," the 37-year-old sailor added.
The ACP event in Naples will mark the first time the five teams -- Emirates Team New Zealand, GB1, Italy's Luna Rossa, Switzerland's Tudor Team Alinghi and France's K-Challenge -- have come together since forming the new framework last year.
"On the water we know the competition will be as fierce as ever, and the Bay of Naples is going to be a spectacular arena for these incredible racing machines," said GB1 CEO Ian Walker, with reference to the event's high-tech AC75 foiling monohulls.
The winner of the challenger selection series earns the right to take on New Zealand to win the "Auld Mug", which was first contested in 1851 off the southern coast of England but has never been won by a British crew.
Ainslie's team also said Hannah Mills, team principal for Britain's Athena Pathway Programme and helm for the second edition of the Women's America's Cup, had opened the application process for the British youth team which will compete in Naples.
"The 38th America's Cup will be the first time women will race on every competing boat, which is a hugely important moment for our sport. It will create a pathway of equality for future generations of sailors," Mills, who is also 37, said. REUTERS
